In Memory of our longtime friend and fellow congregant, Dick Turshen, we have set up a page where people can submit their memories and pictures of Dick. It's only been a month but he is very missed.  Please click on the Read More button.

Jeanne Mandelker, May 8, 2009

If you, like me, view CJC as a moral compass, then Dick Turshen was the North Star. I found comfort in his continuing presence at the synagogue. His judgment, values, and deeds served as a guide. His death in early April at age 83 extinguishes a light all of us had hoped would shine much longer.

A member since about 1979, Dick was an established institution when I joined the shul in 1993.  As CJC treasurer, he skillfully managed the budget, both in lean years and in better years, and ensured our financial viability. He took care of the little things that made a big impact: organizing an outdoor clean-up team each fall; patching the parking lot asphalt; installing and updating the Yartzeit board, and compiling the Yom Kippur Book of Remembrance. Come the High Holidays, he made sure the wood floors had a fresh polyurethane sheen and that the fabric on our yellow chairs was spotless. When CJC enlarged its sanctuary in the late 1990s, Dick kept the project on track.

At his funeral, I learned that Dick’s devotion to CJC and a Jewish life had been passed down to him by his father Isador, who settled in rural Amston, Connecticut, and built the town’s shul, literally with his own hands. The young Richard was brought up in the tradition of tzadaka, and throughout his life he inspired others to do likewise. When someone made a contribution to CJC, Dick’s beautiful, smart, and strong wife of 60 years, Nadya Turshen, would send out handwritten thank-you notes as an acknowledgement. When people were ungenerous, when non-members came to daven on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur without making a donation, Dick was amazed. To him, such actions were inconsistent with what is expected when one leads a Jewish life. His family held Dick’s funeral at CJC on Sunday, April 5^th. They felt he would have wanted to have it in the place he so loved. Every seat was filled. Mayor Hanauer of Ossining was there. Former CJC Rabbi Paul Kurland attended, and old members came as well. Beautiful words were spoken. Daughter-in-law Rochelle Turshen called her father-in-law “our professor of life. He taught us kindness, charity, friendship and that every relationship matters. He was loyal, even when it was inconvenient.” Son Jeff and daughter-in-law Sharon Turshen recalled that Dick “lived his life trying to do the right thing. He inspired us to be the best people we could be.”

Dick’s death was so unexpected. He was packing to return north from his winter home in Florida, as he did every year before Passover, when he was taken ill. Just days before, at a board of trustees meeting, people were saying they were eagerly awaiting his return because the board wanted his opinion on a number of important matters. We are devastated that now we are deprived of his guidance and wisdom. Personally, I can recall a dozen acts of thoughtfulness and kindness from Dick, my friend. I can’t believe I won’t see him again in his usual spot in shul in the front, off to the side by the windows. Next Rosh Hashanah, I will not be able to watch him walk in with pride with his family. Nadya, sons Jeff, Doug and Andy; daughters-in-law Sharon, Rochelle and Lourie; and grandchildren Ben, Mark, Elyse, Jenette, Julia and Joey. We wish his family solace and the comfort of loving memories. To paraphrase an eloquent comment by Rabbi Bockman during the shiva, it’s not how long a candle burns but how bright the candle burns that counts. Dick's candle burned very, very  bright.

RICHARD MORRIS: April 27, 2009